The finale of Down Cemetery Road arrived on Apple TV+ on December 10, 2025, wrapping up the story of the government cover-up known as “Snow in Summer”. While the main conspiracy was exposed, the ending left the show’s main characters changed and on separate paths. With the first season complete, fans are now waiting to hear if the series will get a second season and what story it would tell.
Apple TV+ has not yet officially renewed the show for Season 2, but key people involved are hopeful. Star Ruth Wilson has said there is a “belief” it will continue. Author Mick Herron, whose book series the show is based on, thinks a new season would have to find a way to keep the successful partnership between Emma Thompson and Ruth Wilson at its center.
If a second season gets the green light, there are several big questions left from Season 1 that a new story could explore.
How Will Zoë Cope With the Aftermath of Killing Amos?
The showdown between Zoë Boehm and the operative Amos in the Season 1 finale was a major change from the book. To survive, Zoë had to blind Amos, which led to his fatal fall. This act of violent self-defense is certain to leave deep psychological scars.
“The act shakes her to the core that she has killed someone”.
A potential second season has a clear path to explore the impact of this trauma. In Mick Herron’s second book, The Last Voice You Hear, Zoë is already dealing with the effects of a violent past, making her reluctant to take on a new case involving a suspicious death. The show could use this foundation to show Zoë struggling with guilt, nightmares, or even hallucinations. How she processes this event would shape her character and could deeply affect her growing partnership with Sarah.
What Is Sarah’s New Life After Leaving Her Marriage?
Sarah Trafford’s personal journey in Season 1 ended with a powerful, silent statement: she removed her wedding ring and discarded it. This symbolic act marked her final break from her old life of suburban dissatisfaction.
A new season would need to show who Sarah becomes after this transformation. She is no longer just a client or a housewife, but a woman who has been forged by danger and conspiracy. The key question is whether she fully embraces a new path, possibly alongside Zoë, or if elements of her past resurface. The show could explore her finding purpose in a new career or facing the return of her ex-husband, Mark. Her dynamic with Zoë has also shifted from a professional relationship to something more like peers, cemented by the invoice Zoë gave her at the very end.
Will We Learn More About Zoë’s Past and Her Late Husband?
Season 1 gave viewers hints about Zoë’s history, particularly regarding her marriage to Joe Silverman. Joe’s death, which was staged to look like a suicide, was the event that originally pulled Zoë into the “Snow in Summer” mystery. The finale touched on her grief, but much of her backstory remains unexplored.
A second season could dig deeper into what shaped the private investigator we know. Key questions include the full story of how Joe died and how that loss continues to impact Zoë’s decisions and her guarded personality. Understanding her past would help viewers connect with why she isolates herself and the motivations behind her tough exterior. This character development could be woven into a new mystery, making the stakes feel more personal for her.
Which Book Will Season 2 Adapt, and How Will Sarah Fit In?
This is one of the biggest creative questions for the show’s future. The first season adapted Mick Herron’s first Zoe Boehm novel, Down Cemetery Road. There are three more books in the series:
- The Last Voice You Hear (Book 2)
- Why We Die (Book 3)
- Smoke and Whispers (Book 4)
The challenge is that Ruth Wilson’s character, Sarah, does not appear in Books 2 or 3. She only returns in the fourth book, Smoke and Whispers. However, the chemistry between Thompson and Wilson has been a highlight of the show. Author Mick Herron has openly said that any new season would likely have to change the books to keep them together.
“I think if any sequel were made, it would have to include both characters in the same kind of dynamic that they have played,” Herron said.
Ruth Wilson has suggested the plan might be to condense the last three books into two more television seasons, which would require creating new storylines for Sarah to keep her involved. This means Season 2 might loosely follow the case from The Last Voice You Hear but find a way to make Sarah a key part of the investigation from the start.
Which Characters From Season 1 Could Return?
With the main conspiracy resolved, a new season would likely focus on a new case, bringing in a fresh set of characters. However, a few faces from Season 1 could return to bridge the story.
Confirmed to Return (if the actors are available):
- Emma Thompson as Zoë Boehm
- Ruth Wilson as Sarah Trafford
Likely to Return:
- Adeel Akhtar as Hamza: The government operative was last seen alive, though his future is uncertain after the events of the finale.
- Darren Boyd as “C”: The bureaucrat resigned but was seen moving into the private sector, leaving the door open for him to cause trouble in a new way.
Characters Who Will Not Return:
- Fehinti Balogun as Amos and Nathan Stewart-Jarrett as Downey: Both characters were killed in the Season 1 finale.
New characters would certainly be introduced. In the books, figures like the hacker Wayne become more significant, and a second season would likely bring in new clients, suspects, and antagonists for Zoë and Sarah to face.
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